Chapter Fourteen: The Calm Before the Storm.

Hogwarts was the resting ground of the Wizarding World's next generations, its walls sealed tight and grounds protected to ensure no harm came upon the ambitious, smart, kind and brave students. Stone walls reached high above the grassy terrains, each brick enchanted with a different spell, whether that spell was one cast by a student or figure of authority was unbeknownst to most. Terrains and towers separated each aspect of the educational system, the respective rooms and corridors subtly showcasing their purpose.

But regardless of how versatile and magnificent each of Hogwarts' departments was, they all held one thing in common. Each night, when the fires were dimmed or put out and the corridors were vacant of the usual masses, the various chambers echoed whispers of silence, the peaceful sound, or lack therefore of, allowing hundreds of magical folk to sleep peacefully.

While most students were either in their bed chambers, the common room, or patrolling due to their duties during this quaint time frame, some rebellious teenagers would sneak out to attend trivial matters. Matters that usually involved a bit of rule-breaking, or better yet, a bunch of sweet and savoury delicacies to last the night. But one witch stood out from her companions, her uniqueness lying in the reason behind her departure from the snake pit.

A pale palm reached out towards the black cloak covering the misanthrope's frame, huffs passing her ruby lips as she tugged the flimsy material closer to her body and complained regarding the cold for the umpteenth time. Regardless of her discomfort and yearning for the Slytherin common room's warmth, the curious witch continued down the hall, her green boots skillfully dodging a ghost barrelling her way.

"Stupid monk."

The insult was lost into the cold winds drafting through Hogwarts' hallways, its victim continuing on his merry way without any knowledge of Cordelia's annoyed figure speeding in the opposite direction with a defensive gait and fisted palms.

Riddle should be the one I'm insulting, not that idiotic ghost.

Chocolate brown strands of hair were tossed behind her shoulder as Lia smiled at her thoughts, picturing the obnoxious boy's reaction when he sifted through a library devoid of 'Grave Secrets of the Dark Arts. That look, that annoyed, perplexed, murderous look was what kept Cordelia going, her mind shrugging off the cold nipping at her exposed palms and face.

Tired blue eyes rolled for the umpteenth time as the pureblood witch scooted to the side of the hallway, her gaze focused on a dim-witted, ignoramus Gryffindor waltzing past her with barely concealed giggles and a brightly lit wand.

That idiot better not get in my way. I'm too important to deal with babbling Gryffindors in the middle of the night.

Pale fingers reached up to fiddle with the tip of her yew wood wand, the threat clear as she awaited the Gryffindor's departure. Unlike her dumber peers, Cordelia had the brains to simply use a spell that adjusted her eyesight and accommodated the darkness. This ensured she didn't emit any unnecessary light and was more convenient than 'Lumos' due to its longer range.

Alas, some people lacked the simple luxury of a high IQ.

"Blithering idiot."

She didn't bother lowering her voice, the insult's volume making the sheep in lion's clothing quiver and flee the scene like a pathetic mouse. Yet again an eye-roll punctuated the pureblood's emotions as she continued her trek towards the library, her leather-clad boots halting right before the black, iron double doors.

"Alohomora."

A wave of her dragon heartstring wand completed the incantation, the grey iron lock on the library's gates falling into Lia's left palm. Rather than directly walking into the vast room the pureblood witch paused and muttered yet another spell, this one ensuring she would be alerted of another's presence in the room for the next hour.

Finally satisfied with the precautions the blue-eyed bookworm walked into the familiar room, a giddy smile overcoming her features as she gazed upon the various bookshelves surrounding her.

Can't I just spend the night here and get Riddle's stupid book later?

The thought made her sigh as she avoided the tall shelves, her gaze set onto the lime green plastic door hidden behind a leafy vine. Aware of the precautions guarding the gate, Cordelia stopped a foot away from the handle, unsheathing her wand and initiating the tedious process of removing every precautionary spell.

Dumbledore happened to be quite a clever professor, and thus guarded the Restricted Section as if it were a treasure cove. In a way, for the wise and ambitious, the room happened to be just that, and thus several Slytherins had busied themselves with studying and perfecting the counter curses to each of the precautions placed onto the room. Cordelia thanked her attentiveness during the seventh-year Slytherins' tips and tricks session when the lock finally clicked open and allowed her access to the room ahead.

Much like the serpent on her shirt, the teenager slithered through the shelves, her memory well enough to know where each book was placed due to her several visits to the hidden chamber. Nonetheless, she sighed and stopped right in front of the last bookshelf, unwilling to kneel towards the last row of books and thus using magic.

"Accio Grave Secrets of the Dark Arts."

A heavy tome came zooming towards the witch, a squeak escaping her painted lips as her fingers abandoned the yew wood wand and instead caught the thick book, groans escaping her mouth as she set the sacred spell book onto a dark wood desk.

I so need to work on my strength.

Huffing at the thought, the teenager pulled her cloak closer to her body and flipped open the book, turning to the index and trailing a perfectly manicured finger over the contents, her nail halting at 'curses once erased.' Sneers and smirks replaced her annoyed mood as she flipped to that chapter, yanking out the ten pages of the chapter with ease.

"Inferio."

The pages burned like a bonfire, orange light emitting from the inked parchment. Satisfied with the demise of the pages, Cordelia turned her back on the little fire and instead returned the book to its position, a light smile on her face as she extinguished the flames and vanished the charred parchment. A hum cut through the air as she glanced at a bookshelf before her, pale digits wrapping around a thin collection of dark curses the witch had been meaning to look at.

When she was finally done, the brunette vacated the Restricted Section and reset the charms upon the door, a sigh escaping her lips as she was finally free. Lady luck, however, seemed to have other plans for her as a familiar brunette boy with hazel eyes was kneeling against the bookshelf behind her.

"Going somewhere, Black?"

A barely concealed smirk contoured her face as Cordelia turned towards Tom, fraudulent surprise replacing her egoistical smirks.

"Yes, the common room, would you like to join me?"

The taunt didn't sit well with Riddle as he abutted from the bookshelf, taking two long steps to minimize the distance between them and corner Cordelia. An arm reached upwards to rest against the Restricted Section's gate, the other casually twirling his phoenix feather wand in an attempt to intimidate her. It was safe to say his threats failed miserably as Lia leaned her head against the door, her sapphire eyes examining Tom's light brown ones.

The misanthrope sighed as she realized Riddle happened to be quite handsome, his features mimicking that of a fallen angel's. Brown locks of hair were combed back towards the left, the wavy tresses ending right before his ear lobes showcasing a delay in his haircut. His lean figure was clad in a black suit and green robes, the colours mimicking their house perfectly with a black and silver tie.

It seemed he attained every feature a girl would look for, whether it be the dark brown hair, muscular yet not bulky frame or the chocolate brown eyes, Tom Riddle really did have it all in terms of looks. Above all, he also happened to have a brain that rivalled everyone else's, one that Cordelia sometimes couldn't keep up with. Alas, it was a shame his personality threw all the attractive aspects out the window: what good was a man if he wanted you to be lesser than him?

"Enjoying the view? I must say, I hadn't predicted you to be this smitten with me."

The irony of his statement and her thoughts made Lia chuckle as she leaned further away from Riddle, her back completely pressed against the plastic green door as she replied in kind.

"I was merely wondering if I should hex you first or allow you to make the first move. We both know how the latter ended the last time."

A sneer was sent her way as Tom stepped closer, his voice lowering as a wand's light flashed into the library for a brief second before carrying on. The female bookworm, however, didn't pay the unknown person any attention, her mind too focused on the strong cologne wafting to her nose. She had to admit it, Lia quite liked the husky, wooden scent Riddle emitted, her eyelids drooping as the witch waited for their uninvited guest to walk down the hallway.

What a shame, if his head wasn't so far up his ass, I would've considered falling for him.

Unbeknownst of his companion's thoughts, Tom took to gazing over his shoulders, ears perked up to listen as the footsteps faded away. When he finally looked back at Cordelia, she had recovered from her smelling fest and was once again casually leaning against the gate behind her.

"What were you doing in the Restricted Section?"

Lia thanked Merlin she had thought of grabbing the book, her right palm raising to shuffle in her cloak's pocket and draw out the thin tome.

"Couldn't sleep so I decided to read."

Tom scoffed but accepted the reply due to previous encounters similar to the current one. Except usually one of the snakes happened to be on patrol duty, tonight happened to be different as the professors tended to take the shifts after midnight. The thought led Lia to wonder what her companion was doing in the library, her lips parting to form the question right as someone rattled the library's lock, the soft mutters of spells indicating it was a professor.

The malevolent witch had expected Riddle to pull his arm away from the gate and allow both of them to flee, or at least walk away and leave her to deal with the situation. What she hadn't predicted was for Tom to take a step closer and loop his free arm around her waist, drawing a squeak from Lia as he tugged her forward.

"I don't think your faking a relationship trick will work on whoever's on the other side of that door."

Riddle let out a chuckle on her words, his palm tightening its hold on her waist while he whispered a retort.

"On the contrary, I could just say you wanted to explore two things you love."

A dirty look was sent his way as Cordelia caught onto his joke, her right palm reaching up to whack his head and draw yet another chuckle from the male. It seemed Tom was in a lighter mood than usual, his tone and persona portraying a bit of the carefree teenager he was supposed to be.

Lia had to admit she liked this carefree side of the usually preppy boy. It didn't matter that he probably was this way due to his success in drawing information from Slughorn, the female snake was glad Riddle wasn't always a stuck-up aspiring Dark Lord.

"You do realize I could use that against you."

A frown replaced his smirk before the cocky expression returned again, the change so quick Cordelia would've missed it had she been looking anywhere else. Tom, however, shrugged off her reply as the library's lock finally opened, the restrictions falling away right as both of the snakes wands flashed red in warning of another's presence.

Yet another squeak passed her lips as Lia was yanked into a spot behind the library's last bookshelf, the cranny big enough to barely accommodate the two sixteen year olds.

"Cast a delusion charm."

Regardless of the goose-bumps forming on her arms at their proximity, Lia chose to ignore the fact that Tom was practically pressed up against her back, his arm still wrapped around her waist in some sort of reassurance that she wouldn't run away.

The female bookworm's wand was tucked away in her cloak's pocket thus she wandlessly muttered a delusion charm and a 'Muffiliato' before shuffling her feet and drawing a bit of distance between her and Tom.

"You know, we could've just hidden in the spot behind the Restricted Section's left-wing, it's bigger than this hole."

A frown came over her features as Tom remained silent, the lack of a response making the girl roll her eyes. Refusing to take silence as an answer Lia loosened his grip on her waist and turned around, facing Riddle with a raised eyebrow.

The wizard rolled his eyes and muttered something along the lines of 'women' before stepping further into the hiding spot and pulling her with him, the shadows finally covering both of them.

"Every professor is aware of that spot, we couldn't risk it."

She hummed at his response, sending him a fake smile and completely pulling away from his clutches yet remaining in the shadows nonetheless. The delusion charm she cast was affective enough to hide the two of them until the professor finished his check, but it wouldn't hold up against someone like Dumbledore.

By her glimpses of the awful saffron robes the teacher was wearing, Lia knew for a fact that the professor swooping through the library happened to be the bespectacled Gryffindor head of house.

"Why did you come here?"

Riddle sighed at her question, pausing for a moment before replying.

"I required a book for a bit of research."

You forgot 'regarding Horcruxes'.

Lia smirked at her thoughts, aware that the male before her would no longer find what he was looking for, at least not in the Hogwarts library. Nonetheless, she nodded her head and rested her back against the stone walls, her mind drifting to thoughts of the Tournament as she awaited Dumbledore's departure.

"Slughorn sent this for you."

Eyebrows furrowed and mind racing the Black heir reached her palm forward, snatching the green and silver invitation from Tom's clutches and muttering a quick 'thank you'.

Dear miss Cordelia,

It is my deepest pleasure to welcome you to the next Slug Club ball due to be held on All Hallows Eve. This ball will involve dance, dinner, and most importantly an opportunity to converse with a few of my peers. Since the traditions of this festive night require a costume, I have spoken to headmaster Dippet and allowed all of my guests to buy costumes from Hogsmede this weekend. I sincerely hope to see you and your partner there at ten pm on the 31st.

Feel free to reach out for further details, the gates of the Slug Club are always open for my students.

Regards,

Professor Horace Slughorn.

The letter made Lia raise her eyebrows and pout, an annoyed sigh passing her lips as she realized the pot-bellied professor's intentions.

"He wants us to go together, that's why he sent the letter through you rather than an owl."

A fraudulent look of surprise overcame Tom's features as he too leaned against the hiding spot's wall, the nonchalant stance completing his picture of oblivion.

"Is that so? I had no idea."

Blue eyes squinted in frustration as the Black-McMillan heir realized Riddle was in on their professor's match-making scheme, the thought making her roll her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"You little snake."

"How ironic."

Unwilling to let Tom win, Lia walked forward and jabbed her index finger into his chest, the sudden proximity vanishing his smirk.

"I'm not going with you. That's final."

A dramatic eye-roll was sent her way as he pushed her finger away, resting his palm onto her shoulder while he retorted.

"You are, and that's final."

"I don't think you understand-" her words were cut off as Riddle placed a finger over her mouth, the action emitting a growl from the female as he spoke.

"I don't think you understand what Slughorn might do if we don't show up together."

The statement made the brunette witch's head clear and recall a similar predicament Druella had been placed into last year. Slughorn had been extremely keen on setting up Ella and Flint, thus he decided to send her a Slug Club invitation via the lanky boy in hopes she would show up with him.

However, when Druella instead chose to drag Rodolphus along as her plus one, dear old Sluggy threw a fit and made sure to pair the Black female with Flint for each of their assignments and place the Lestrange male on the other side of the classroom. The potions master only halted his obsession with setting up the pair when Lia and Aldrich broke up, their sudden split making Slughorn play match-maker for Cordelia and Tom.

It was safe to say the head of Slytherin house hadn't got over his obsession to pair his best students together. The recollection made the blue-eyed brunette groan as she leaned forward, her head resting against Tom's chest as she muttered words that would assure a lecture from her mother had Melania been near.

"Why do I have to go with you?"

Riddle chuckled at this, moving his hand to instead rest against the back of her head in false sympathy.

"Because Slughorn wills it. And here I thought you were smart, Cordelia."

The mocking insult made Lia shift her head away from his chest, her chin resting against his sternum as she finally heard Dumbledore shuffle towards the other end of the library.

"Asshole."

Tom chuckled at the remark, his hand abandoning her hair to instead clutch her right arm and lead her out of the hiding spot.

"That's the best you can do?"

She shook her head, uncaring of the fact that her guard was down and Riddle could do some severe damage if he noticed.

"I'm too sleep-deprived to deal with you."

The statement although humourful was true. Cordelia had been so preoccupied with her studies, preparations for the Tournament and the start of year exams that the brunette bookworm had forgotten to tend to simple tasks like sleeping and eating.

It had gone so far that one night Aurora found her friend passed out on a couch in the common room with a Transfiguration textbook over her face. Not wanting to overwork the Black heir, Rora and Phyllis had decided to lock her into their dorm for the next day and ensure she slept and ate like a normal person.

She couldn't tell if he was faking it or not, but Riddle seemed slightly concerned at her words, his clutch on her loosening as he instead held onto her wrist and tugged her towards the library's double doors.

"Well we should get back to the common room then, shouldn't we?"

Lia smiled and nodded, following after him as they walked across the second floor and down the grand staircase, their feet automatically turning towards the left and going down the dungeons until the duo of snakes finally stood before the Slytherin common room's entrance.

"Salazar's serpents."

The wall moved backwards to allow Cordelia entry to the common room, her feet stepping over the threshold and into the welcoming underwater chamber. Unwilling to spend another moment around Riddle in such a carefree, tired state Lia moved across from the room and climbed upstairs to the girls' dormitory, her feet halting for just enough time to mutter a quick goodnight to the Riddle heir.

She had expected the room to be filled with three sleeping females when Lia entered her shared living quarters, instead, the Black heir quizzically gazed upon her friends sitting in the middle of the room with a pint of ice cream and various sweets beside them. Clothes and make-up were scattered all around the trio and someone had evidently charmed the lights to flash warm colours every few seconds.

"Where were you? I waited for you to get back!"

Aurora was the first to speak, her voice slightly muffled due to the chocolate frog she was chewing.

"Library."

The reply made Druella chuckle as she got up and dusted herself, a painted palm reaching forth to grab Cordelia's arm and lead her to the middle of the room.

"While you were busy being your nerdy self, we raided the kitchen and decided to host a girl's night. Now change."

Too fed up to argue with her cousin, Cordelia merely nodded and removed her cloak. She reached for her wand and muttered spells to empty her cloak's pockets and return her belongings to their designated spots before using yet another spell to dust off and hang the cloak in her closet. Then the brunette tied her hair into a messy bun, not caring about the loose strands as she quickly changed into a pyjama set.

When she was done, Lia walked towards her friend and joined their circle, her hand automatically reaching for a chocolate frog and munching on the head before speaking.

"So, what's first, gossip, fashion show, or games?"

The three pureblood girls chuckled at their friend's question, each of them grabbing a bunch of sweets as Phyllis finally answered.

"I'm guessing gossip. After all, we need to know why you just entered the common room with Tom Riddle."

That's it, I'm done for!

Unwilling to entertain her friends but not really having a choice, Lia adjusted her blue tank top and sighed, replying with the first thing that came into her mind.

"Slughorn wants us to attend the Slug Club Halloween ball together."

The girls nodded, digesting the information silently before Aurora spoke up, her left palm holding a pumpkin pasty as her right pulled her blonde strands away from her face.

"The three of us got our invites around the time you left. I'll obviously go with Ignatius, Phyllis is taking some unknown guy and Ella's going with 'Olphus."

Lia nodded at the claim, munching on her chocolate and leaning back on the cushion near her. Just as the Black-McMillan heir opened her mouth to respond, Theodore Nott came rushing into their room, his hair dishevelled and eyes wide in panic.

"Dippet's going to announce the twenty chosen students tomorrow morning! Don't miss breakfast."

The curly-haired boy snagged a cauldron cake and raced out of their room before any of the girls could reply, his voice echoing around the dormitories as he informed every other slumbering snake. Cordelia, however, didn't care about what Theo was doing, her mind stuck on the Nott boy's words.

It all comes down to tomorrow. Oh, Merlin, I think I'm going to faint.